Genealogy using Military Records
Military Records can provide you with information such as birthplace, age at enlistment, occupation, and names of immediate family members. On my Father's side of the family a cousin was known to have been a Union bugle boy in the Civil War which was a valid clue that helped to track down that particular family line. Think about clues like that, although they aren't that big of a deal in themselves, they do offer a great deal of information in context!
Time Saving Tip for Genealogy
Determine if others have researched your family as well. Tap into their expertise. Network with other genealogists. Classify your ancestors by ethnic, fraternal or religious associations, residence locality (local, county), gender, occupation, social status or class...anything that can help give you clues as to where to search.
Using Military Records in Your Search
Most records for veterans are available through the National Archives, with the earliest records dating from the Revolutionary War. The collection includes service records, pension applications and records, bounty land records, and even pardon petitions for Confederate Army veterans.
If you know your "kin" was in one of our early struggles for freedom, you can search by the resources listed below...general first, Civil War second.
Even though the America Revolution was before the pioneers, we included a few documents. Those could have been the families who moved west to blaze a new frontier.
Tracing Your Family History:
The Complete Guide to Locating Your Ancestors and Finding out Where You Came. Offers an introduction to family history and the numerous online and hard-copy informational sources available to genealogical researchers. Focusing mainly on family history in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia the book is divided into five parts-"Beginning the Quest," "Filling in the Gaps," "Understanding the Fine Print," "Special Circumstances," and "Going Global"-then subdivides those parts 2006